Daily Slideshow: F-100 is Cardinal Red but Has a Coyote Under the Hood

Don't be fooled by the sweet red paint, this F-100 means business.

By Geoff Castaneda - May 1, 2018

SEMA Worthy

Jeff and Tammy Perkins' 1960 F-100 is definitely a stunner as it sits today with its shade of eye-catching Cardinal red paint and custom bodywork. It wasn't always that way, in fact, when Jeff and Tammy found the F-100 sitting in someone's garage it was in rough shape. But, as is usually the case, with enough time, vision, (and most importantly) money, they were able to resurrect the old Ford and give it new life.

Finding Their Da Vinci

Luckily for Jeff and Tammy, Jeff had a longtime friend in nearby Martin, Tennessee. Steve Legens has a full resume of restoring and rebuilding classic muscle cars and trucks. He was the man would craft and guide the Perkins' vision for their beaten up old F-100. Legens used his knowledge and experience to craft subtle modifications to the bodywork like the 1958 grille and headlights. The hood is also from the same year, albeit with custom vents. The factory bumper was also replaced with a narrowed version built by Legens.

The Subtle Design Continues

In 1960, the F-100 features single taillights. Legens' updated design features stacked dual LED taillights from Lambert Enterprises to better fill the space. To give a sleeker appearance, Legens fabricated concealment hinges. Finally, to keep things in sync with the front bumper, the rear bumper is a custom Legens-design narrower piece.

A Bed Fit for A King

The custom bed was built from flamed birch panels courtesy of Bedwood & Parts. Separating each panel are stainless steel strips. Legens once again came up with a subtle but effective solution with a fuel filler concealment kit. His witty design features a remotely operated hinged floorboard which lifts to give access to the fuel filler.

Dedication to His Team

For anyone familiar with Major League Baseball, the Perkins' color choice may remind you of a certain team from St. Louis. Jeff Perkins picked out the color and Legens laid down the paint after stirring up the perfect mix of PPG products. Advanced Plating was brought in to make sure the chrome shined the way it did after it left the assembly line in 1960.

The F-100 still rides on the original frame but with notable modification. The OEM frame rails have been boxed and C-notched and the front suspension was swapped to a Kugel Komponents independent setup. At the rear, Currie Enterprises 31-spline axles, a Currie 9-inch Ford rear-ended and 3.90 gears handle the business end of things. The rear suspension is an ever-popular RideTech four-link setup with panhard bar and coilover shocks tucked into all four wheel wells. Helping the Cardinal red pickup to stop are stainless steel brake lines fed from a Master Power Brakes master cylinder and dual diaphragm booster.

A Wiley Coyote

Staying true to the Ford brand, Legens ordered a Ford Performance 5.0L Coyote crate motor. The engine vitals are monitored by a FAST XFI fuel management system and FAST XIM ignition module. Aesthetically, the first thing you'll notice is the Borla eight-stack semi-cross-ram injection system which brings some old school hot rod flair. You'll also notice an absence of visible wires and accessories. Finally, the custom F-100 emblem on the engine cover also draws your eye. The Coyote V8 is backed by a Ford 4R70W automatic transmission.

Clean on the Inside

Legens' shop also crafts custom interiors in-house. They got to work on a custom bench seat using a Wise Guys frame and upholstered it in distressed pecan leather. Legens used the same material on the custom door panels. Classic Instruments sent over a set of custom red-faced gauges which fit the stock dash. To update the look and feel of the steering, a small 15-inch diameter wheel, and Flaming River tilt column shifter was installed. This modern F-100 also features air conditioning thanks to a Vintage Air system. The Perkins' can crank the tunes while cruising thanks to an R&B Vintage Auto Radio receiver which sends its goodness through Pioneer speakers. They'll need to really crank the jams to overshadow the Magnaflow 3-inch exhaust system and the Coyote that hides underhood.